Honesty beyond temptation.. An Algerian finds jewelry worth 35 thousand dollars and returns it to its owner

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Saleh, an Algerian retiree, caught the attention after he found a jewelry bag worth more than $35,000 and decided to return it to its owner, refusing to receive any financial reward for his honesty.

The seventy-year-old man comes from the state of Constantine (350 kilometers east of the capital, Algiers), where a bag containing $35,000 (equivalent to 700 million Algerian centimes) was found.

The man did not hesitate to return the jewelry to its owner, as he said in this regard: “The reward that I will receive from God is sufficient for me,” in a phrase that summarizes his conviction that doing good does not require financial compensation, and that honesty is a moral value that is not subject to calculations of profit and loss.

The interaction with my uncle Saleh did not stop at praising his position, as Algerians raced, after his story spread on social networking sites, to suggest initiatives to honor him, ranging from those who offered to pay the costs of performing Umrah, and those who sought to cover the expenses of Hajj, in addition to those who suggested providing a car or housing and sums of money. However, my uncle Saleh remained committed to his position of rejecting gifts, stressing to Al Arabiya.net: “My goal was not benefit, but rather doing good.” Seeking reward, because he is the only one remaining.”

Respondents considered that the story reflects “the authenticity of Algerian values, such as honesty, chivalry, and restoring rights to their owners,” while others saw that “the man’s position provides a lesson to rising generations, that true morality appears when a person is faced with great material temptation, but he chooses to fulfill his principles.”

Some also considered that "the proposed initiatives to honor him embody the other side of the story, which is social solidarity and appreciation for those with noble positions, even if they do not seek or wait for honor."